MXPA00004621A - A floor for a transport means and profiles for the construction thereof as well as a vehicle provided with such a floor - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a floor for a means of transport of the type where the floor comprises a plate (1) which is adapted to the bottom (12) in a given means of transport, and on which one or more chairs or other aids in passenger transport may be secured, said floor plate (1) being provided with a plurality of recesses (3, 7) distributed in a suitable pattern (3a, 3b) for receiving securing means (6) for securing chairs or the like to the plate (1) and receiving attachment means (13) for attaching the floor plate (1) to the bottom (12). This provides a floor having a much greater flexibility with respect to layout in e.g. minibuses, just as the chairs may be secured more securely to the floor, so that also the floor can absorb impact energy in case of a collision where a passenger fastened by a seat belt is thrown forwards.

Description

FLOOR FOR TRANSPORT MEDIA AND CONSTRUCTION PROFILES OF THE SAME. AS WELL AS A VEHICLE EQUIPPED WITH THIS FLOOR DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a floor for a means of transport of the type wherein the floor comprises a plate which is adapted to the lower part of a given means of transport, and on which one or more chairs can be fixed. Furthermore, the invention relates to a profile for the construction of the floor and to a means of transport provided with such a floor. It is a common practice that in vehicles for passenger transport, such as, for example, minibuses, a floor is installed inside the body of the vehicle on the lower part of the vehicle body. Such a floor typically comprises a plurality of plate elements separated by two or more rails, which extend longitudinally or transversely, and which are bolted or bolted to the bottom of the vehicle on which the seats are mounted. The seats in the cabin and the rails are adapted so that the seats can be fixed to the rails. In this respect it can be mentioned that EP-A-0 619 216 describes a floor plate for minibuses and wagons which is covered with an elastic layer of polyurethane, so that the floor is easy to lay, and so that it is not Shakes when placed on top of the bottom of a vehicle. The plate elements are usually veneered wood which is covered by a carpet or vinyl cover. The plate elements can be interconnected below the rails or can be separated by the rails, so that the rails are placed in the form of tracks in the longitudinal direction of the plate. The plate is fixed to the bottom of the vehicle. The rails are screwed or bolted to the underside of the vehicle, which is currently a profiled metal plate. This provides flexibility in the selection of seats, as the seats can be moved forward or backward along the rails and can be mounted in the desired arrangement. Particularly in the case of a larger means of transport, such as buses as well as trains or aircraft, the number of seats can therefore be changed relatively easily by moving the individual seats by joining them or separating them on the rails. The seats can be provided with seat belts in the form of lap belts so that, without additional mounting operations, passengers can be seated in a restrained position, regardless of what type of seat is selected.

To increase the safety of passenger transport, it will be a requirement in many countries that also for example minibuses should have three-point safety belts on all seats, as is the case with automobiles. When passengers are fastened with three-point belts, the load of the floor seat suspension is significantly increased in the event of a deceleration in an accident or in the event of a sudden application of the brakes. This increased impact is caused by the fact that also the passenger's torso is held by the belt, which propagates to the mounting of the seat on the rails. This establishes additional demands on the union of the seat to the rail and consequently the union of the rail to the floor / lower part. This is intensified by double or triple seats. Known types of floors for transportation means, however, can not satisfy these demands, and accordingly the invention is designed to provide a floor which can satisfy these additional demands on the seat joint due to the increasing demands on the use of seat belts. In addition, in known floor systems, the flexibility with respect to where the rails can be arranged on the floor is limited by the positions of the rails and, therefore, the invention is further designed to provide a floor which provides greater flexibility with respect to seat placement. The invention comprises a floor of the type mentioned in the opening paragraph, wherein the floor plate is provided with a plurality of recesses distributed in a pattern suitable for receiving a fixing means for fixing chairs to the plate and for receiving a joining means to join the floor plate to the bottom. According to the invention, a floor plate therefore shows a perforated structure. Therefore, in this way an extremely flexible floor with respect to the arrangement of the chairs is obtained, since the points of union should no longer be in a linear rail, but can be freely selected. It should be considered by means of the invention that only some of the recesses are used for the union of the chairs. Other union recesses are used for joining the floor to the bottom. The recesses, which are not used, can be covered so that the floor with the mounted chairs has a uniform surface without long openings like those seen in the rails, which facilitates the cleaning of the floor. In addition, it should be taken into consideration by the invention that the recesses supporting the chairs can also be used for joining other auxiliaries, such as for example wheelchairs. There are no standard dimensions for wheelchairs, and therefore previously it has not been possible to guarantee a secure connection of a wheelchair in a passenger transport, but the floor according to the invention allows an optimal fixation in all the necessary points so that a wheelchair can be securely fixed to the floor during transport. When the chairs are fixed in some of the recesses and the floor joins the means of transport in another of the recesses which are placed in the vicinity of the recesses that support the chairs, the floor is able to absorb part of the energy of impact in case of an accident. In contrast to the known types of floors, a floor according to the invention can be used as part of the passenger security system of the transportation means 1. The floor according to the invention will be capable of being deformed, particularly if it is made of a metal plate, preferably an aluminum plate, since part of the weight can be supported by it. With a floor according to the invention, it will be possible to manufacture a floor for minibuses which meets the requirements for the approval of the passenger vehicle "Ml". In this way, the floor provides a much greater flexibility with respect to the distribution of chairs in, for example, minibuses. The chairs can be fixed more securely to the floor, so that the floor can also absorb impact energy in the event of a collision, where a passenger fastened to a seatbelt is pulled forward.

Furthermore the invention shows that the safety belts of the chair can be fixed directly to the floor. In a preferred embodiment of a floor according to the invention, the floor plate is arranged to be mounted on the lower part of the transport means by means of at least one strip which, optionally together with a segment of the floor, is fixed below the bottom of the means of transport.

This results in a secure and strong joint which does not require much space, and which has an extremely low weight. Optionally, the strip joint can be supplemented with a rubber tape to cushion the floor, if conditions permit. The joining points for joining the floor plate to the bottom can be formed as grooves immediately above the longitudinal joints between the profiles. This results in a strong fixation, which also ensures that the floor surface remains flat. In the preferred embodiment of a floor according to the invention, the plate is constituted by a plurality of at least partially perforated floor profiles, the longitudinal extension of which corresponds to the direction of travel of the means of transport, or transversely, if the conditions they allow it. The profiles are interconnected at their side flanges by welding, glueing or the like, or where the side flanges are constructed as a tongue and groove connection. When the floor is made up of profiles, a construction that saves costs and which is extremely flexible from the floor according to the invention is obtained. Furthermore, this construction means that the floor according to this preferred embodiment can be made with a great resistance in relation to the weight, in particular if the floor profiles, which are preferably made of aluminum, have U-shaped profiles. In an additional mode, heating pipes can be placed inside the profiles to heat the floor, between the bottom and the floor. This provides heating of the floor just below the passengers, which provides a better heat distribution in the cabin compared to a simple heated rugged tube which is installed on the side of the vehicle body. Optionally, an insulating material can be arranged on the underside of the heating tubes, if this is considered necessary. However, if the profiles are made of aluminum, the profile material will contribute to transport heat upwards inside the cabin. The floor plate can be made up of profiles of width of different profiles so that the points of attachment can be individually adapted to the lower part of various types and elaboration of means of transport. In the preferred embodiment, each recess is formed as an elongated hole with a receiving opening for the fixing means. This allows the chair to be easily assembled and removed. The receiving opening can be provided in the center or at one end of the elongated hole. In addition, the recess can be provided with mounting blocks where one or more mounting blocks are formed with the same recesses as in the floor. In this way the floor is protected against loads of the legs of the chairs. The assembly block can be in the form of a band, if conditions permit. In this way, the same type of floor / the same perforated profile can be used for different assembly layouts for the union of chairs, auxiliary equipment or other equipment, simply by elaboration of suitable mounting blocks. This results in additional constructional flexibility, in terms of production as well as usage. The floor according to the invention can furthermore be provided with a floor covering, for example vinyl or other covering, on an adapted floor plate, which is also formed with holes corresponding to the mounting positions for the cabin layout to be selected The cover plate is placed on the top of the floor plate so that a clean floor surface is obtained in the cabin where the recesses are not used for the assembly of chairs together with the other recesses, such as the connecting holes or the like which are covered. Such a plate is relatively simple and easy to manufacture. If another seating arrangement is subsequently selected, a new cover plate is placed on the floor. According to a second aspect, the invention provides a profile for a floor according to the first aspect of the invention. This profile shows a perforated surface and two lateral faces therein, which are produced, for example by bending. In addition, in a first mode, the profile is made of aluminum. In this regard it should be considered that the profiles can alternatively be made of kevlar or a similar fiber material, if so allowed for the price and other conditions. This provides an extremely suitable initial element for the production of a floor according to the preferred embodiment of a floor according to the invention. Finally, according to a third aspect, the invention relates to a means of transport, such as a bus, minibus or other vehicle, in which the floor is assembled according to the first aspect of the invention, such floor is composed preferably of profiles according to the second aspect of the invention. The invention will be described in detail in the following, with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 shows a floor plate for a minibus, according to the invention, Figure 2 shows a floor plate composed of profiles according to the invention. with the preferred embodiment of the invention, figure 3 shows a schematic sectional view of the junction of the floor to the lower part of the vehicle, figure 4 shows a top view of a section of the floor plate in the joint, the figure 5 shows a sectional view through a floor, according to the invention, figure 6 shows a mounting block and a preferred embodiment of the recess, figure 7 shows a sectional view of the floor with installed heating, figure 8 shows a cross section in a floor profile for use in the construction of a floor according to the invention, figure 9 shows a cross section of a floor profile positioning part, the Figure 10 shows a cross-section of a main profile for use in assembling chairs or other auxiliaries; Figure 11 shows a cross-section of an insert for use in relation to the profile shown in Figure 10; 12 shows a cross section of another embodiment of an insert, - Figure 13 shows a cross section of a third embodiment of an insert, Figure 14 shows a cross section of a panel profile, and Figure 15 shows the principle in the assembly of a chair. Figure 1 shows a floor plate 1 for a minibus in a first mode. It consists of a plate 1, for example of aluminum for weight reasons, which is adapted to the shape of the lower part of the minibus or of the trolley, as shown with reference number 2 in the drawings. The floor plate 1 is perforated with recesses 3 which are formed in lines, as shown in 3a and with rows, as shown in 3b in Figure 1. Figure 2 shows a preferred embodiment of a floor plate for a floor according to the invention, the plate is manufactured by placing a plurality of U-shaped profiles 11, side by side, and joining them by welding, glue (adhesion) or the like. The U-shaped profiles 11 are perforated with recesses 3, preferably in the same pattern as indicated in Figure 1. At least the plate part 15 of the U-shaped profiles 11 is provided with the recesses 3. In addition, the lateral flanges 16 in the profiles 11 they can also be provided with recesses 3 which makes the production of the profiles easier and less expensive, in that they can be bent from a perforated plate material. A preferred material for the profiles 11 is aluminum since in this way a sturdy but simultaneously lightweight floor structure is obtained. The floor plate, which in this way is constituted of U-shaped profiles placed in inverse manner, are joined as shown in figure 3 to the lower part of the vehicle 12 by means of strips 13, which pass through some union recesses 7. on the floor plate and downwards, below the bottom part 12 of the vehicle, optionally below one of the side members 14. As shown in Figure 3, the strips 13 and the joint in the lower part 12 can be made in different ways. These recesses 7 are produced by knurling the grooves 7 in the joint between the two profiles 11. The strip 13 at the top of this way will be placed at the same level or below the floor surface, so that the floor will have a flat appearance The floor plate consists of assembled U-shaped profiles 11 which show a plurality of longitudinal and vertical reinforcement ribs in the form of two mutually coupled side flanges 16 from two adjacent profiles. The joining of the floor plate takes place via one or more of these reinforcement rims, as shown in figure 3. Furthermore, it is ensured by this connection that the fixing force from the strip 13 propagates directly downwards inside of the side faces 16 of the profiles 11. Figure 4 shows a top view of the joint, from which it is clearly seen that the joint recess 7 is cut or otherwise produced on the surface of the floor in the profile tips. As will be seen, the size of the recesses 7 will depend on the selected shape of the strips. It will also be noted that the shape of the recesses and the joint can be freely selected under the circumstances. Figure 5 shows a section through a floor according to the invention. A cover plate 4 is placed on the upper part of the floor plate 4, the plate is covered by a cover 5 in the form of a vinyl floor covering, a carpet material or another form of floor covering. As will be further seen from FIG. 5, the recesses 3 that are not used are covered by the cover plate 4. A mounting block 56 is mounted on which a chair or the like can be mounted on the other of the recesses 3 shown. A recess 7 accommodates a hook-shaped joint 53 which in the upper part holds the plate in the recess 7, and which in the lower part is fixed to the lower part 12 of the vehicle in the hook 53, which has a threaded 54 in the lower part which is pulled down towards the lower part 12 by tightening a nut 55, which is coupled to the lower part 12 by means of a plate member 17 in the form of a washer or the like . Figure 6 shows a schematic view of a mounting block 56. A preferred embodiment of the recess 3 for the attachment of the chairs to the floor plate 1 is shown. This embodiment of the recess 3 is provided correspondingly in the assembly block 56. The embodiment consists of an elongated hole 9 with a reception opening 10 in the center through which a screw head of a chair or the like can be inserted. Alternatively, the receiving opening 10 can be arranged at one end of the elongated hole 9. The assembly block 56 can be formed individually arranged in blocks or as a band comprising a row of recesses 3, if the selected seat so allows. Figure 7 shows a section through a floor according to the invention which is equipped with heating tubes 18, and an insulation plate 19 lying on or immediately above the bottom part 12. The tubes 18 of heating can be fixed to a lower plate 20 which is fixed inside the profiles. This plate 20 can optionally be made of aluminum like the profiles 11, so that a good heat conduction is ensured upwards, inside the cabin. further, in this regard it should be noted that this plate 20 can be used as a "collection tray" for dust. Therefore, the floor can be easily cleaned by means of water or compressed air, which prevents the accumulation of too much dust. A further development of the floor according to the invention is illustrated in Figures 8-13 of the drawing, in the form of a modular system consisting of extruded aluminum profiles. The floor profile shown in Figure 8 is a closed profile having an upper side 21 and a lower side 22, and two side edges 23, 24, which are constructed as a tongue and groove connection. For reasons of strength, the profile is divided into divisions 26. In addition, the profile 27 of circular cross section is provided. They also contribute to the resistance and can also be used as heating tubes. These can be directly when the channels are interconnected in an end means, or indirectly when running with a separate heating coil in the channels. Since the upper side of the tube wall is integrated with the upper side of the profile, a good heat conduction is obtained on the upper side, while the slat connection with the lower side results in an insulation with respect thereto. In the divisions 26, the upper side of the profile is provided with longitudinal "center slots" for screws or through holes. For the unique positioning of these, the profile has a longitudinal fin 29 internally in parallel with the divisions, which causes deformation of the profile when the screws are tightened. It will be appreciated that other cavities in the profile are suitable for the displacement of electric cables or lighting guides. Figure 9 of the drawing shows a positioning part 30 having a width corresponding to one third of the width of the floor profile. It will be appreciated that additional placement pieces, as needed, can of course be made. In the places where the rows of chairs will be, the profiles are arranged below the legs, which have a cross section as shown in figure 10, with lateral edges similar to those of the main profile. The profile has a longitudinal key 31 in the form of a dovetail for the insertion of inserts, as shown in figures 11-13. The lower part of the key 31 has a part in the form of a dovetail 32 with a groove 33"central" for joining the profile with screws or bolts. The upper side, on each side of the dovetail key, is formed with a flap 34 having a key 35 downwards, towards the upper side of the profile to fix the edge on the floor covering. As mentioned, Figures 11-13 of the drawing show cross sections of inserts for insertion within the keys. The insert 34 is shown in Figure 11 as a closed profile whose lower side has a key 35 for receiving the dovetail 32 when the insert is inserted into the profile shown in Figure 10. In addition to coupling the walls 36 inclined in the profile, the lower part of the insert is fixed with the dovetail 32. The holes on the upper side 37 of the insert for the attachment of the chair or others are milled or pre-drilled. auxiliary The insert 38 shown in FIG. 12 differs from the previous ones only in that it has an open profile, more particularly in that it is open 39 in the lower part and has slanted edges 40 which are placed below the edges in FIG. the dovetail 32 in the lower part of the profile in figure 10. The insert part 38 is typically used when it is fixed in the mounting profile shown in figure 10 with screws or bolts in the lower part. The insert 41 shown in Fig. 13 differs from the insert shown in Fig. 11 exclusively in that it is a solid profile, which is used when there are going to be extreme loads. A panel profile can be used as shown in Figure 14, as a termination towards the sides of the vehicle. The profile is formed by lower and upper portions 42, 43, the lower part having a triangular molding 57 whose outer end 44 is designed to rest on the upper side of the floor profiles. The profile is held in position with a downwardly directed wing 45 which is wedged down between the underside of the vehicle and the floor profile adjacent thereto. The second part 43 of the panel profile is connected to the first part 42 by a tongue and groove connection. The upper edge of the second profile part 43 is formed with a key 46 to receive the lower edge of the side that spans the vehicle. In addition, there is a longitudinal key 47 in which various adjustments can be arranged, for example adjustments for the union of chairs, other auxiliaries or equipment. The lower part of the key 47 has a countersink 48 for fixing the profile with screws or bolts so that their heads do not extend blockingly within the keyhole. Figure 15 of the drawing shows by means of the principle, how a chair 49 is fixed to the floor. As mentioned, the upper side of the insert 34 or 38 is formed with mounting holes 50 similar to the holes mentioned previously, which are shown in Figure 6 of the drawing. The chair is placed with the legs 52 on a pair of profiles 34, 38 designed for the purpose, so that the screws can be inserted into the expanded portion 10 of the holes. The chair is then pushed back and forth to accommodate the body of the bolt 52 in the slot 9. When the bolts have been tightened, the chair is mounted flexibly. When performing the reverse operation, the chairs can be easily disassembled and removed. Assembly of the chairs by means of the solid insert 41 can be carried out in two ways, depending on whether the insert is provided with knurled holes or pre-drilled or not. In the first case mentioned, the assembly takes place in a manner very similar to the insert pieces 34, 38 while in the case mentioned at the end, the holes are knurled or drilled when the chairs or auxiliaries are to be fixed. It has been previously established that the profiles can be screwed or bolted to the bottom of the vehicle, or can only be riveted. When a floor in the form of a plate is involved, as shown in Figure 1, or closed profiles are involved, as shown in Figures 8-10, it is also possible to adhere or join the floor to the bottom of the vehicle.

Claims (14)

1. A floor for a means of transport of the type in which the floor comprises a plate which is adapted to the lower part of a given means of transport, and on which one or more chairs can be fixed so that to the plate The floor is provided with a plurality of recesses, characterized in that the recesses are distributed in a pattern suitable for receiving a fixing means for fixing the chairs to the plate and for receiving a joining means for attaching the floor plate to the lower part. .

2. The floor for a means of transport, as described in claim 1, characterized in that the floor plate is arranged to be mounted in the lower part of the transport means by means of at least one strip which, optionally together with a floor segment, is fixed below the bottom of the means of transport.

3. The floor for a means of transport, as described in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the plate is composed of a plurality of at least partially perforated floor profiles which are interconnected via side rims by welding, glue, connection tongue and groove or similar.

4. The floor for a means of transport, as described in claim 3, characterized in that the connecting recesses for joining the floor plate or the profiles of which it is composed to the lower part are manufactured as grooves immediately above the joints longitudinal between the profiles.

5. The floor for a means of transport, as described in claim 3 or 4, characterized in that the floor profiles, which are preferably made of aluminum, are constructed as U-sections or flat or substantially flat tube profiles.

6. The floor for a means of transport, as described in claim 5, characterized in that the heating tubes are arranged to provide heating to the floor, inside the profiles.

7. The floor for a means of transport, as described in claims 3 to 6, characterized in that the floor plate comprises profiles of different widths.

8. The floor for a means of transport, as described in any preceding claim, characterized in that each of the recesses is shaped as an elongated hole with a reception opening for the fixing means, the reception opening is preferably placed in the center or at one end of the hole.

9. The floor for a means of transport, as described in any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the floor below the recesses is provided with mounting blocks which are formed with a hole in the same way as the recesses in the plate , for example, an elongated hole with a reception opening for the fixing means.

10. The floor for a means of transport, as described in any of the preceding claims, characterized in that a floor covering is laid on an adapted cover plate, which is also formed with holes corresponding to the mounting positions of the laying of the floor. Cabin selected, the cover plate is placed on top of the floor plate.

11. A profile for a floor plate of the type in which the floor comprises a plate which is adapted to the bottom of a given transport means, wherein the profile shows a perforated plate and two side faces thereon, which are produced preferably by bending or extrusion of the profile, characterized in that at least one profile is constructed as a closed profile with flat or substantially flat upper and lower sides as well as at least one profile having a longitudinal key, preferably a dovetail wrench for the insertion of an insert in which mounting recesses are going or can be provided.

12. The profile as described in claim 12, characterized in that the closed profile is formed with tube channels whose upper parts preferably integrate with the upper side of the profile and separate from the lower side.

13. The profile as described in claim 11, characterized in that the profile is made of aluminum.

14. A means of transport, such as a bus, minibus or other vehicle, in which a floor is mounted according to any of claims 1-10, the floor preferably being comprised of one or more profiles as described in claims 11 or 12.